Outer Space has gone Crazy
by Pokeyonekenobie
Summary: Falling...that was the first thing. What came next was nothing short of unusual.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, kids, here's a story that's been kind of playing around in the background while I worked on other things. I don't have an update schedule for this one so it'll be one of those "when I finish a bit I'll post it" things. Enjoy...**

**I guess I better put the disclaimers in: Gundam Wing is not mine. If it was I would still be making it...**

**This story shouldn't have anything in it that would make the rating go up or that would require warnings. It's supposed to be fun, so enjoy!**

* * *

><p>He was falling. That he knew. But why? Why was he falling? He couldn't remember. Maybe it wasn't important. He looked up and saw the ground coming closer and closer. Should he try to soften his landing?<p>

Oof. The ground had caught him

He looked up at the sky, dazed. Where was he now? What was he doing here? What had he been doing before this? Nothing. There was nothing before the falling.

He sat up and looked around him. He was in a field of daisies.

"Are you lost?"

He turned to see a little girl standing next to him.

"Are you lost?" she asked him again.

"I've been lost since I was born."

The girl giggled. "Here."

He took the proffered flower.

"I need to go find Mary. Bye!" The girl ran off, laughing.

He followed her with his eyes, wondering who Mary was and why she had to find her. He still didn't know where he was. Maybe if he walked a ways he would find a road sign or a landmark that he recognized. He stood and looked around. There were daisies in every direction. After some thought he decided to go the same direction as the little girl, who had disappeared somewhere amongst the flowers. It wasn't like it really made any difference which way he went at this point.

He took three steps before the ground opened up and swallowed him.


	2. The Door

As the darkness enveloped him, he felt no fear. It seemed normal to be falling. Even the debris surrounding him didn't seem unusual. What was odd was how slowly he seemed to be falling. It was more like he was in place and everything was rising around him. He looked around as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and was able to make out shelves lining the walls of the hole he was apparently in. He looked up and saw a puddle of light that got smaller and smaller as he traveled downward. Turning his attention back to the shelves he saw a number of interesting objects. He was falling slowly enough that he could reach out and grab them if he chose. A teapot, a flute, a book, a knife, and even a sword caught his attention. But the only thing he chose to reach for was a teddy bear. He looked at it with a frown as he fell. He felt as though he'd seen it somewhere before. It wasn't new. It was small and worn out in places and the ear had been chewed on. He blinked slowly as the smell of smoke came from the small toy. He wasn't sure why it smelled that way but it felt like he should know.

He drifted downward and eventually placed the small bear on another shelf. He watched as a fireplace in the wall got closer and closer. Above the fireplace was a large portrait of a King, a Queen, a small boy and a baby, presumably a girl as it was dressed in pink. The portrait burst into flames as he passed by. The King and Queen were burned but the two children were untouched.

He didn't have time to dwell on it as he found himself suddenly on solid ground. He looked up, seeing only a pinprick of light at the top off the hole he'd just come down. There was no way he could climb out. He looked around and found only one way out, so he took it.

The small door led down a winding hallway. Pictures lined the walls. Each picture was of a blonde woman. Each different, yet they looked similar. As he followed the hall the pictures got younger and younger until the last picture showed a young boy. He paused in front of the last picture. The boy was probably in his early teens. But it seemed out of place among all the women. He frowned, but shrugged and continued on into a large room. The room was empty except for a table. There was a door on the far end. He approached the door.

He twisted the knob and was rewarded with an electric shock.

"Ah ah ah! No entry without the proper clearance."

He looked closer at the door and noticed that the door had a face. The face looked as though it was carved into the wood. The handle of the door looked more like a mechanical claw than a doorknob and it appeared to be holding something.

"How do I gain clearance?"

"There's a microchip on the table. You must use that."

He looked up at the table, which seemed much larger than it had before. He went to it and attempted to climb up. He grew frustrated and turned back to the door.

"Is there another way?"

The doorknob extended and the claw opened, dropping a small box. He opened the box and inside was a small cake with "Eat Me" written in frosting on top.

He frowned. Sweets were not his thing. He looked at the door, which seemed to be looking expectantly back at him. He shrugged and bit into the cake. It wasn't too sweet, which he appreciated, but he still didn't see the point of it.

He took a second bite. Still nothing happened. A third. A fourth. A fifth bite and the cake was gone.

"Is something supposed to happen?"

Just then, he started to grow. He grew and grew until he filled the whole room. The door began to laugh.

"Well a little of that went a long way!"

"What now?" he asked, starting to get agitated. This place made less and less sense the longer he was in it.

"Try the box, naturally." The claw handle stretched out and dropped another box in front of him.

He opened the tiny box with a great deal of difficulty and pulled out a tiny bottle of liquid. He remembered to grab the tiny microchip before putting the contents of the bottle on his tongue. It was a tiny drop of something that tasted familiar, but he couldn't place it. Was it soup? Or maybe it was juice. Maybe it was just water. He wasn't sure. The only thing he knew was that he rapidly began to shrink. He held tightly to the microchip as it got larger and larger.

Soon, he was staggering under the size and weight of the chip. He managed to get the thing over to the door.

"What…do…I…do…with…this?" he ground out with a great deal of effort.

"Insert it into the slot…if you can reach it."

He looked up and saw the slot several feet above his head, just above the door's eyes. He dropped the chip as he looked around for a way to reach it. There was nothing he could stand on. The box with the cake had disappeared as had the one with the tiny bottle. The table was gone as well. The chip was the only object left in the room.

The door continued to laugh at him.

As the door laughed, he could see a garden through its mouth. He couldn't get the chip into the slot, but that didn't mean he was trapped here. He knew he would only have one chance at this. He gathered his courage, ran and jumped into the door's mouth.


	3. In the Garden

The soft ground of the garden cushioned his landing. He stood slowly, taking in his surroundings. There was a soft breeze that blew through the trees. He looked up to get his bearings and frowned. Not trees. Giant flowers. He really had to find a way to get back to his normal size.

He turned back to the door and was surprised to find it gone. There was just…nothing. Yet it didn't seem out of place. He decided to head through the forest of flowers and see where that took him.

After walking for what felt like hours, he decided to climb one of the flowers to get his bearings and see how far he had to go. Upon reaching the top of a daisy, he looked around to see daisies everywhere. He couldn't even see where he'd started at the edge of the forest. Where was he supposed to go now? He frowned and looked again. Maybe he'd missed something.

As he looked closer, he noticed what looked like a clearing not far from where he was. He decided to head for it. He climbed quickly down and headed for the clearing. As he neared it, the flowers thinned a little and he could hear voices. He slowed and hid behind a flower stem to listen.

"You're the most beautiful, without a doubt!"

"Oh, yes! She is!" came a chorused answer.

"Thank you all so very much. You're most kind."

He peeked around the stem but saw nothing but a bunch of flowers. Where had the speakers gone? He stepped out cautiously. There was a small patch of pansies, but other than the fact that they were as tall as he was, there was nothing unusual about them.

"Hello!"

He jumped and turned around. There was no one there. Just a pink and yellow hibiscus.

"I said, 'Hello.'"

He blinked in surprise. The voice was coming from the flower.

"Um…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

He looked closer at the flower. As he looked, the flower shifted. It appeared to "stand up" and the petals appeared to be a skirt or dress of some sort. The pistil now took on the form of a young woman. He felt as though he should know who she was. She seemed very familiar to him.

"It's a pest…isn't that obvious?"

He turned towards the new voice, which came from a yellow weaver's broom. It seemed a sour sort of flower.

"I'm not a pest."

"Perhaps it's a wildflower!" the hibiscus guessed with glee. "I've never met a wildflower before! Is it lovely to travel about like you do?"

"HA! Wildflowers don't travel about any more than we do. The reason they're called wild is because they were not brought up as we were among _polite_ society," the weaver's broom announced with derision.

"Well…what kind of flower gets to wander about?" the hibiscus asked with a bit of a pout.

"I'm not a flower," he told them. He wanted to get that straight. He might not know much, but he knew he wasn't a flower.

"I _knew _it!" the weaver's broom shrieked. "You're nothing but a _weed_!"

"I am _not_ a weed!"

"So you say," the yellow flower sneered.

He glared at the flower. "I don't care if you believe me."

"Well, what are you then?" the hibiscus asked.

"I'm…I'm…I'm not sure," he admitted.

The yellow flower laughed. "Nice try, Weed."

"Oh, don't be so cruel. It said it wasn't a weed. We must help it figure out what it is," the hibiscus said. "You said you aren't a flower, either. What does that leave?"

"Dirt?" the yellow flower suggested nastily. "Or perhaps fertilizer?"

"Maybe it's a bug!" one of the pansies suggested.

"Ooh, yes! It's a bug!" another pansy agreed.

A chorus of agreement came from the rest of the pansies.

"I don't think I'm a bug."

The hibiscus frowned. "Well…I know you're not a worm because you're not on your belly."

"I'm not a worm," he agreed.

"You know, it looks an awful lot like the big creature that crashes about. You remember, the one that pulled up the poppies," the weaver's broom said.

"Oh, no! No…it's…it's not the same. It's much, much smaller!"

"It still looks like the creature."

"Yes! It looks like the creature!" the pansies screeched. "Make it go away before it picks us all!"

"No! It won't hurt us!" the hibiscus insisted. "At least…at least I don't think you will. Will you?"

He shook his head. "I do not like to pick flowers."

"See!" the hibiscus said triumphantly.

Before the conversation could be continued, there was a rumbling and the ground began to quake.

"Oh no!" the flowers screamed. "The creature is coming!"

The quaking got worse as a giant, fuzzy, four-legged creature came running through the flower forest. The creature was so large that it towered above the tops of the tallest flowers. The quaking came to a halt as the creature stopped. A giant brown head with a wet nose and a drool-covered tongue nosed its way down by the flowers.

He looked up at the massive dog, wondering where it had come from and whether or not he ought to try and ride it.

The dog noticed him and started sniffing him, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"MARY! Where are you! Come here!"

He recognized that voice. It was the little girl who had given him the flower.

The dog looked towards the voice before bounding off in the opposite direction.

"It's gone," he told the flowers.

"That's not the worst one," the hibiscus told him. "That one only smells us and sometimes steps on us. But it doesn't crush us. It isn't pleasant, but at least we can recover with rest. The creature that follows it is the one we fear."

"And it _always_ follows!" an orange pansy told him as the other pansies nodded their agreement.

"MARY!"

"_That's_ the creature!" the pansies wailed.

The ground shook again and came to a standstill as the girl stopped running and looked around. He looked up at her. She was taller than any building he could remember. He watched as she cupped her hands around her mouth and bellowed "MAAAAAARRRRY!"

He lost his balance and almost fell over as she ran off.

When the earth stopped moving, the hibiscus exclaimed, "That was a close one! You really should go before something bad happens to you. There's no telling when that creature will come back!"

"But what about you?" He felt a need to protect this flower. The others, not so much, but the hibiscus inspired his protective side.

"We've survived so far. And who knows, we may meet again someday. Perhaps by then you will know what you are."

He nodded. He wouldn't discover what or who he was by hanging out amongst flowers.

"You should go before the creature comes back. It might chase you down as it's doing to that brown creature."

"Yes, or it might squash you and your juices will spill everywhere," the yellow flower jeered with glee.

"That's a horrible thing to say!" the hibiscus reprimanded. The quaking began again. The hibiscus looked at him. "RUN!"

He didn't think, only followed the order. He ran without knowing where he was going. It came as little surprise when he tumbled down an unexpected hill.


	4. Do Caterpillars wear glasses?

He came to a stop when he hit something solid. He took a moment to assess his physical condition. Finding nothing broken, he pulled himself to his feet and bumped his head. Staying bent over, he carefully walked a few steps until he was in the clear. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at what he'd run into. It was a mushroom.

"Who are you?"

He looked up in surprise. On top of the mushroom was a caterpillar that appeared to be the same height he was. The caterpillar had a book in each of its six hands and was wearing reading glasses.

"Not too bright, are you? What is your name?"

What was his name? He didn't know for sure, but he had a name that he used when it suited him. "Heero Yuy. Who are you?"

The caterpillar considered him with dark, exotic eyes. "My name is of no consequence. But I suppose it would be unjust to know your name and not offer my own. You may call me Chong."

Heero didn't know how to respond, so he stayed silent.

"What are you doing here, anyway?"

Heero shrugged. He didn't know. He was just…here.

"Do you know anything?" the caterpillar demanded.

Heero glared at the giant bug. "I know I don't like you."

The caterpillar raised an eyebrow. "Well I suppose that's something." He went back to reading one of his books.

"Why are you so big?"

The caterpillar looked at him. "Excuse me?"

"Why are you so big?" Heero repeated.

"I am the exact size I am supposed to be."

"Caterpillars are supposed to be small," Heero insisted.

"Well how big do you suppose you're supposed to be?"

"I am exactly 156 cm tall."

Chong looked him over and snorted. "I doubt that as I am exactly 7.5 cm tall."

Heero frowned. "Well…I did get much smaller after I drank something from a bottle given to me by a talking door."

"That explains it," the caterpillar commented casually before going back to his book.

"No it doesn't."

Chong rolled his eyes. "It's simple, really. Foods made with sugar make you grow. Foods with a lot of salt make you shrink. Clearly, the drink was salty."

"It did taste a bit like soup."

"Now that that mystery is solved, good day." Chong went back to reading one of his books.

Heero started to walk away.

"By the way, one side will make you taller and the other side will make you shorter."

Heero turned back to the caterpillar. "What was that?"

"One side will make you taller and the other side will make you shorter."

"The side of what?"

"The _mushroom_ of course," the caterpillar told him, annoyed.

"Oh. Thank you."

"Yes, yes, you're welcome," Chong answered, waving him off and going back to his book.

"How is that possible?"

"What?"

"How is it possible that a single mushroom has both a sweet side and a salty side?"

"Oh for Pete's sake! If you want to know so badly why don't you try reading a book instead of keeping me from reading mine?" the caterpillar snapped.

Heero wasn't sure he even wanted to try the mushroom. Many mushrooms were hallucinogens. Heero didn't want to waste time hallucinating. This coming from the guy having a conversation with a giant caterpillar, he told himself.

"Do you at least know which side is which?"

"No. You'll have to figure that out for yourself. I suggest you don't gorge yourself." With that, the caterpillar picked up his books and crawled off through the tall grasses.

Heero shrugged and picked a handful of mushroom from one side of the mushroom. He smelled it, but it only smelled of mushroom. He licked it, trying to decide if it was sweet or salty.

Nothing happened and he couldn't tell, so he took a bite. Since nothing was happening he decided to grab a bit from the other side of the mushroom. If he shrank he wouldn't be able to reverse the effects without it. As he reached out to grab the mushroom, he started to grow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: According to mandarin dot about dot com, Chong means insect in Chinese. (Caterpillar is actually Mao Chong.) Have you figured out what's going on yet? I didn't label this story as AU for a reason...it will make sense by the end, I promise. :)**


	5. Seeing Double

Heero grasped a tiny section of the mushroom before he was too tall to reach it. He grew and grew. He wondered how he was going to figure out how much of the mushroom to eat before he got to a manageable height. He stopped growing suddenly. He looked around. The flowers were smaller than he was and the trees were taller, so he was in the right ballpark.

He pocketed the two pieces of mushroom in case he needed to tweak his height and set off through the garden. There was a small path that he decided to follow. If there was a path, surely it had a destination. He looked around, keeping alert for any threats.

"He looks lost."

"He's not lost."

"Is."

"Isn't."

Heero stopped and looked around. He didn't see anyone or anything. He decided to proceed with caution.

"See, he knows right where he's going."

"No he doesn't. He's faking it."

"Is not."

"Is."

Heero stopped again. "Who's there?"

Silence answered him.

He started forward once again, this time scanning the area as he walked.

"We could help him."

"Or not."

This time, Heero thought he saw movement in the trees off to the right. He left the path, heading for the point of motion. What he found was not what he expected. There were two statues. They appeared to be the same person. Both were tall with long hair. The only difference was that one wore a mask. The one without a mask had a regal appearance.

Heero circled the two statues. They were taller than he was. He wondered if he should try to alter his height, but decided that the difference wasn't so much that he wanted to risk a drastic change. As he looked, a feeling of familiarity settled on him. He felt he should know who these men were. Deciding that nothing was out of the ordinary, Heero turned to head back to the path.

"See he doesn't need our help."

Heero whirled around, glaring at the two statues.

"If you're going to stare, you could take a picture. It will last longer," the one without a mask told him.

Heero blinked in surprise. The statues were talking? How was that possible?

"Or you could just stop that. It's creepy," the one with the mask told him.

"Who are you?" Heero asked.

"Does it matter?"

"That's no way to speak to the boy," the one without the mask said, shaking his head. "I apologize. I'm Marlid Ilo and this is my brother Chess Merequiz."

Heero frowned. The names sounded familiar but he couldn't place them. This was getting weird.

"You know, for being so nosy about _our_ names you certainly aren't forthcoming with your own," Chess groused.

"Heero Yuy."

"Pleasure to meet you," Marlid said. "Were you lost?"

Heero shrugged.

"See he doesn't need our help. Let's go back to ignoring everything."

Marlid rolled his eyes. "Forgive my brother. He hasn't been the same since his girlfriend left him for me."

"She did _not_ leave me for you. She went off to serve the queen."

"The Queen?"

"Surely you know of the Queen," Marlid said with disbelief. "She rules this place. It is her benevolence that allows us to roam as we wish in these wonderful gardens."

"When she's in a good mood, that is," Chess added. "When she's having one of her bad days, it's better to lie low."

"How do you tell if she's having a bad day?" Heero asked.

The living statues looked at each other.

"You'll know," Marlid said.

"Definitely," Chess agreed.

"In fact, you might want to stop in and meet her. She likes to know everyone within the borders of her domain. It helps her to make our world a better place," Marlid told him.

Heero nodded. "Where can I find her?"

"In her castle in the middle of the labyrinth, of course," Chess said with disdain. "Everyone knows that."

"Where is this labyrinth?"

"Follow the path and you'll find it," Marlid said. "But be sure you don't get off the path. The woods are filled with a number of characters that you don't want to get tangled up with."

Heero wondered if Marlid caught the irony of what he'd just said. "Thank you."

"Good luck," Marlid said as Heero headed back to the path.

"You'll need it," Chess added.

Heero kept going. As he started back down the path he could hear them arguing again.

"The Queen's going to kill him, you know."

"No she won't."

"Yes, she will."

"Won't."

"Will."

"We should have a battle."

"Not another one."

"Why not?"

"Battles are horrible things."

"No they're not."

"Yes they are."

Heero rolled his eyes and kept on walking.


	6. The Cat and the Cottage

Heero stayed on the path but it wasn't long before he came to a fork in the road. He looked down each path with a frown. The statues hadn't mentioned a fork.

"Lost?"

Heero looked up. Sitting in the crook of a large tree was a boy. Well, sort of. He appeared to have cat ears. The boy/cat's green eyes watched him closely.

"I was told to go see the queen. Which path do I take?"

"All paths lead to the queen."

"Oh." Heero looked down each path again. They both looked relatively tame. He started down the one to the left.

"I wouldn't go that way."

Heero stopped and looked up at the cat-boy again.

"Why not?"

"No one goes that way."

Heero frowned. "But why not?"

The cat-boy shrugged.

"Just who are you?"

"A friend."

Heero wasn't sure how to process that answer. He'd never had friends before. "_What_ are you?"

"A Cheshire cat."

"I didn't know Cheshire cats were part human."

The Cheshire Cat shrugged again.

"I thought Cheshire Cats were supposed to smile."

The Cat shrugged. "I'm not your average Cheshire Cat."

"Hn." Heero started down the path again.

"I thought I told you not to go that way."

Heero stopped and turned back to the cat. "You didn't give me a reason not to."

"You wouldn't believe me if I did."

Heero folded his arms. "Try me."

"There's a girl that lives down that way. She's…different than the other inhabitants of this world."

"A girl? What's so terrible about that?"

"I told you. She's different."

"How so?"

The cat jumped down from the tree. He walked over to Heero. Heero could see the cat's brown tail swishing as he walked.

"Why does it matter? She's dangerous. Stay away from her."

"I think I can handle a girl."

The cat shook his head. "Don't say I didn't try to warn you." With that the Cheshire Cat took a few steps backward and disappeared.

Heero wasn't sure what was going on, but he wasn't going to stay to find out. He followed the path, keeping his eyes open for any threats. The path was quiet. There weren't even any birds singing.

As he rounded a curve in the path, a small cottage came into view. It was whitewashed with a thatched roof and a white picket fence. He was about to pass it by when the sound of glass breaking caught his ear. He paused, listening for any other suspicious noises. Another crash prompted him to go through the gate and knock on the door.

The door swung open so Heero put his head inside and looked around. The inside appeared to be fairly neat but there was no one in sight.

"Dammit. Where are they?" a voice muttered. There was another crash followed by "Ow!"

"Hello?" Heero called tentatively.

The house went completely silent. Heero took a few steps inside.

"Is someone here?" he called.

A head poked out from a side room. It was a girl with a long braid. She didn't look so tough.

"Hey! Can you give me a hand with this?"

Heero was surprised. The 'girl' was a boy.

"Who are you?" Heero asked.

The boy grinned. "Quit screwin' around Howard. I'm in a hurry."

"I'm not—"

The boy became annoyed. "Well are you gonna give me a hand or not?"

"I guess…" Heero answered slowly.

"Great. Get upstairs and see if you can find my lock picks. I can't do this next mission without 'em." The braided boy waved Heero to the stairs without stopping his search.

Heero shrugged and went up the stairs. The first room was a weight room. He searched around all of the gym equipment but didn't find anything that resembled lock picks. The next room was a bathroom, a search of which also yielded nothing. That left the bedroom.

Heero looked in the closet and under the bed, but found nothing. He started going through all the small trinket boxes on the dresser. One box had a skull and crossbones painted on it and contained a small silver cross on a chain.

"HEY! I FOUND 'EM!" the boy called from downstairs.

Heero headed out of the room and down the stairs. A missed step sent him tumbling. His head was still spinning when the boy's face came into view above him.

"Whoa! Dude, you okay?"

"I think so," Heero answered.

"Hang out there for a minute. Don't move until you're sure nothin's broken. I'll be right back."

Heero ran a mental diagnostic of his person and found nothing broken, but his backside was a little bruised. He sat up slowly, just to be on the safe side.

The boy came back and shoved a spoonful of something in Heero's mouth. "Here ya go! A bit of your tonic'll fix ya right up."

Heero nearly choked on the sweet liquid. It tasted like cough syrup.

"Good as new!" the boy announced with a smile. He started to guide Heero out the door. "Come on, I'm sure you've got places to go and people to kill, just like me."

The boy practically pushed Heero out the door and locked it behind them.

"Take care, Howard! I'll catch ya later!" The braided boy ran off down the path in the direction Heero had come from.

Heero shook his head and headed down the path again. He only got a few feet before starting to grow again.


	7. Tea Anyone?

He grew and grew. He watched the small cottage disappear beneath the trees. When he stopped growing, he looked around. Heero was surprised to see that he was in the middle of a meadow. He looked down. What should have been tiny trees looked like normal blades of grass.

Heero was past the point of being amazed at the weirdness of this place. At the edge of the meadow was another forest. Heero turned slowly, trying to decide which way to go. A path led through the woods to the north. Considering that the statues had told him to stay on the path and the Cheshire Cat had told him that all paths lead to the queen, which was Heero's main objective, he headed for it.

The path wound through the trees until Heero wasn't quite sure which direction he was going. He frowned as the trees grew closer and closer together, making the pathway dark. His anxiety started to flare up. This was the perfect setup for an ambush. He moved forward with caution, his ears strained for the slightest noise out of place.

He slowed as he approached a sharp turn in the path. There were voices up ahead. He crept up and hid behind a tree to listen.

"Would you like some more tea?"

"I wouldn't dream of refusing!"

Tea? Heero frowned to himself. Tea was…normal, which made it seem out of place. He looked down the path he'd come down. There was no point in going back, he knew there was nothing there. If the queen was his goal, he would have to keep going forward. Rather than delay the inevitable, Heero set off.

Just around the corner was another cottage. It was larger than the last one he'd been in. This one was painted a soft yellow color and had a barbed wire fence. Heero raised an eyebrow. Was barbed wire _really _necessary?

He wondered if he ought to ask if the occupants knew how far it was to the queen or if he ought to just wing it. He shook his head. He wasn't good at "winging it". He was better if he had orders to follow. It was part of his extensive training.

He opened the gate, expecting alarms to announce his presence. He was surprised when nothing happened. He walked up to the front door and knocked. There was no answer. He could hear the voices coming from behind the cottage. Since no one was answering the door, Heero decided to head to the back yard.

The backyard was decorated with paper lanterns. A large table took up most of the space in the backyard. Heero frowned as he realized that there were only two people at the oversized table.

The first person had his back to Heero, so he couldn't see his face. But he was wearing an oversized top hat. Heero could see blonde wisps of hair peeked out from under the hat. The second person was to the blonde's right. He was huge. He had tan skin and…were those rabbit ears? Heero decided this place had hit a new level of weird.

The second man's ear twitched and he turned to face Heero.

"Who are you? This is a private party."

"Now, now, Arnab," The blonde said as he turned to look at Heero. "We should invite him to join us in a cup of tea."

Heero recognized the blonde. He was the boy in the last picture in the hallway of pictures he'd walked down when he first arrived in this place of weirdness.

"Please make yourself comfortable," the blonde invited and gestured to the seat on the other side of Arnab.

Heero didn't want to seem rude, so he took the seat next to Arnab.

"My name is Asad. Would you care for some tea?"

Heero nodded. "Yes, please."

Arnab lifted the delicate tea pot and poured Heero a cup of tea.

"Would you like sugar?"

Heero looked at the sugar bowl, which was dwarfed by Arnab's huge hand. He shook his head. "No, thank you. I do not particularly care for sweets."

The rabbit-man put the bowl of sugar down and looked to Asad.

Asad watched the newcomer with interest. "What should we call you?"

"You may call me Heero. I was wondering if—"

"Heero? From where do you hail?"

"I'm…not sure," Heero admitted. "Somewhere very far from here."

"Oh, well, that's so interesting. You really must tell me of your travels! Arnab here has a bit of agoraphobia. I'm lucky to be able to get him into the yard for tea time, you see. Have you seen many interesting things in your travels?"

It took Heero a moment to formulate a response to the blonde's rapid-fire commentary. "Um…I suppose I've seen some interesting things. I've seen a—"

"CLEAN CUP!" the blonde announced. "MOVE DOWN!"

Asad moved one seat to his left. Arnab moved into the blonde's vacated seat, which left Heero to move into Arnab's. Heero frowned. The only one who benefitted from moving down was Asad. Heero was glad he hadn't taken a drink of his tea yet. He had no idea how clean the cup had been to begin with.

"So Heero…you were saying?" the blonde prompted as he stirred sugar into his tea.

"Oh…um…" Heero thought for a moment. What had he been about to tell them?

"That's SOoooo interesting," the blonde said as he took a sip of his tea.

Heero scowled. What did this bubblehead want from him?

"You're not drinking your tea," Arnab pointed out.

Heero looked at the cup in front of him. He wasn't sure how clean the cup was. "So…what happens when you get all the way around the table?" he asked, trying to avoid drinking the tea.

"Silly. We go around again," Asad told him.

"Do you ever wash the cups?"

"Why should we? By the time we get around again I don't remember if I drank out of it last or Arnab and it isn't like we have cooties."

Heero wanted to gag. "How…how long have you been having this particular tea party?"

"Well…I don't rightly know," the blonde said, absently lifting a cake to his chin and covering it in frosting as he thought.

"It was the fourteenth of March," Arnad supplied, looking bored as he drank the tea that was in the cup in front of him. Heero tried not to think about it.

"Oh yes! The fourteenth of March. My sisters were supposed to come for dinner and we decided to kill time by having tea. It seems that time got extremely offended and decided to stop altogether." Asad looked at his empty tea cup and reached for one of the many teapots on the table.

"Yeeeesssss…welllll…do you know the queen?" Heero asked, trying to change the subject.

Asad stopped drinking his tea and exchanged a look with Arnad.

The rabbit-man rounded on him. "Are you in league with that foul wench?" he demanded as he stood up. He was several feet taller than Heero.

"No! I…I was told that all paths lead to her and…and I didn't know if that was true or not," Heero explained quickly.

Arnad stayed standing. "They do. We do not associate with those who desire to align with the queen. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave."

Heero thought it best not to argue with the behemoth. "Thank you for your hospitality," he said as he rose from his seat. "I can see myself out."

Heero was relieved as he set foot back on the path. He could hear Asad and Arnad begin telling each other a series of riddles as he walked off. Heero frowned as he heard one of the riddles but not the answer.

Why _is_ a raven like a writing desk?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: According to the internet (so forgive me if it's incorrect), Arnad is Arabic for "rabbit" and Asad is Arabic for "lion." Have you figured out what's going on yet?**


	8. A Shortcut to Roses

Heero followed the path for hours. There was no sign that he was getting any closer to his end goal. He wondered if he ought to cut across county and see if he could find a short cut.

"Still lost?"

Heero looked up to see the Cheshire Cat standing on a branch above him. The Cat leapt gracefully down to the ground and stood next to Heero. He was a few inches taller than Heero but seemed to be about his own age.

"I have not reached my destination yet, if that is what you mean."

The Cat studied Heero carefully. "Did you run into the girl I warned you about?"

Heero shook his head. "No…I met some people having tea but that was it."

The Cat smirked. "I'll wager you didn't upset them too much."

"What makes you say that?"

"Those two are rather mad. Rumor has it that anyone who upsets them donates their hide for a new hat."

"Seems a bit barbaric to me," Heero told him.

The Cat grinned, showing his pointed teeth. "You have no idea how barbaric this place can be. I recommend you leave before it is too late."

"I can't leave when I don't know how I got here."

"I can show you the way out."

Heero considered the Cat's offer. "What if I'm not ready to leave?"

The Cat shrugged. "I can't stop you. But know that the amount of time you are safe here is limited."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means. You are not safe here indefinitely. I suggest you use your time wisely."

"How much time do I have left?"

The Cat shrugged again. "It's hard to say. Just keep it in mind."

Heero thought this over. "If I choose not to leave right now, is there a chance I will get stuck in this place?"

"It is possible. However, when your time runs out being stuck here will be the least of your troubles."

Heero frowned. "I was told to see the Queen. Am I even close?"

"Not really. But if you're going to insist on seeing her, I'll show you a short cut." The Cat went to the tree he'd been standing in and kicked it three times. A door opened in the trunk and the cat stepped back. "I'll come for you again. Your time grows short. Don't waste it."

The Cat disappeared and Heero looked at the entrance in the tree. It opened on a bright meadow. There was a short path through the meadow that was lined with rose bushes. At the end of the path was an arch in a hedge. Beyond the hedge was a castle.

He stepped through the doorway, hearing it click shut behind him. He turned and found it gone just as the door leading into the garden had been. He shrugged to himself and followed the path. As he passed the roses he noticed irregularities in the bushes. The roses he came to first were black. Then there were a few bushes with teal roses. Then some tan roses. Then orange and then some blue with yellow tips. Then he reached some maroon roses. Beyond the maroon roses were three funny looking creatures.

Heero couldn't decide what they were. They were flat and square, much like playing cards but they didn't have suits and numbers. Instead, they were more like face cards. Very ugly face cards.

"Come come now X…the queen will never know." The picture on the speaking card was of a man with a bowl haircut and a rather large nose.

"But 3, if she _does_…" the one called X protested. His picture had gray hair that stuck up and a patch of leather over the nose.

"She won't find out as long as we get this done before she comes looking for us," the third card-man pointed out. He had a pointy mustache. "Where is Tow with our supplies?"

"I'm coming. Hold your horses, 8!"

Heero watched as a fourth card-man, this one with a picture of a bald man, joined them. His arms were full of paint cans and brushes.

Each card man took a paint can and brush and walked past Heero. They each picked out a rose bush and started painting the roses red. Heero wondered why they bothered. The exotic colors made the roses so much more interesting than common red ones.

"Step aside or help."

Heero blinked. The one called Tow had snuck up next to him.

"Um…what…what is it you're doing, exactly?" Heero asked.

"I should think that would be obvious," the card-man told him dryly. "We're painting the roses red."

"Yes, but _why_?"

3 snorted. "Because it's what the Queen wants."

"You mean it's what she wants some of the time," X corrected him. "It's so hard to keep up with her demands some days."

"Why is that?" Heero asked.

"Clearly you've not met her yet," 8 told him. "She has multiple personalities. These roses were planted as per her instructions. She wanted exotic colors that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world, so we engineered her these special roses. However…"

"However her other personality decided this morning that all the roses should be red," 3 interrupted.

"All that hard work…wasted," X lamented. "It's such a shame."

"So why not just plant more instead of killing these with paint?" Heero asked.

"Because her Royal Highness is having a political party and wants the roses to be red _today_," Tow informed him. "You helping or not?"

Heero took a can of paint and a paintbrush from the card and moved to one of the rose bushes. As he covered the blue and yellow roses with red paint, he frowned. It looked as though blood was coating the flower. It made him think of the flowers in the garden that he'd talked to. He wondered if these flowers could speak too, if he was small enough to hear them. He found that he didn't want to paint the flowers anymore. He looked around, trying to find a way out of killing the poor flowers. In the distance he could see a large group approaching.

"Who's that?" he asked the nearest card, which happened to be 8.

"Oh Rocks and Death! It's the Queen!" 8 announced.

"Finish quickly!" Tow called.

The cards moved faster than Heero thought possible and soon his small rose bush was the only one not covered in red roses.

"Finish, finish!" the cards yelled at him.

"What if I don't want to?" Heero didn't want to explain about the talking flowers that these roses reminded him of.

"Then you shouldn't have accepted the assignment," 3 snapped. "Stand aside."

The four card-men quickly finished painting the roses and dashed away, laughing hysterically.

Heero watched, confused, and wondered if he should wait for the Queen to come to him or if he should approach her.

"You!"

Heero turned at the voice. It was a Walrus. At least, that's what he looked like. He was 'walking' on his back flippers towards Heero and smoking a cigar.

"Um…yes?"

"Why are you not attending the Queen?"

"I was unaware that I was supposed to be attending to her."

The Walrus harrumphed. "Not very bright, are you? Come with me. You must be presented to Her Highness and she will decide what is to be done with you for your inconsideration."

Heero followed the Walrus. He was supposed to meet the Queen and this was the most direct way to complete his objective.

"Ah, Duke Dabbar, what is this you have brought to me?" the Queen asked as they approached.

Heero looked at the Queen. She was fairly pretty, though not beautiful. She had long brown hair that went past her shoulders.

"Your majesty, I present to you…" The Walrus looked at Heero, waiting for him to supply his name.

"My name is Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure," Heero greeted her with a slight bow.

"Yes, I'm sure it is. I know everyone in my kingdom. Why have I not met you before?"

"I arrived not long ago. I have been traveling far to meet you."

That seemed to appease the Queen. "Splendid. To celebrate, we shall play a game." She turned to her entourage. "What shall it be?"

"A Caucus Race!"

"Let's have a ride in a Trial Balloon!"

"No, A Witch Hunt!"

"No! A _Snipe_ Hunt!"

"Your Majesty…if you will…permit _me _to suggest the entertainment?"

Heero saw a noble looking Gryphon approach.

"You have a game to suggest, Tretten?"

The Gryphon bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. I was going to suggest a game of Croquet."

An excited chorus of "Oh yes, Croquet!" came from the entourage.

"The let the game…BEGIN!" the Queen announced.

* * *

><p><strong>Witch Hunt, Caucus and Trial Balloon are all political terms. (The Queen <em>is<em> having a 'Political' Party, after all.) I won't bore you with the definitions. If you're really interested, you can look them up.**

**Dabbar Walrus is Hausa for Walrus (I left off the 'Walrus' part because it seemed to be too much of a mouthful.)**

**Tretten is Norwegian for Thirteen**

**Please remember that these translations come from Google Translate so if it is incorrect, I apologize.**


	9. Things Make Less Sense

There was a flurry of activity as the Queen's court set up the field for the game.

Everyone waited for the Queen to go first. Heero was glad to observe. He'd never played croquet before. Even so, he wasn't sure this was correct, either.

Each player lined up behind a wicket. As soon as the Queen got her ball through, everyone else started their turn. Since everyone had a yellow ball (except the Queen, who had a red one) it was utter chaos.

"Aren't you going to play?"

Heero turned and recognized the Gryphon who had suggested the game. "Um…I've never played before so I was…learning how."

The Gryphon laughed. "Oh, it's quite simple. You have to get your ball through each wicket. Of course, if someone else knocks your ball off course…well…that's part of the fun, isn't it?"

Heero didn't point out that no one could keep track of their own ball and that everyone avoided the Queen's ball like the plague.

"Don't dilly-dally! You'll never finish if you never start!" The Gryphon chased after a yellow ball, leaving Heero perplexed and contemplating whether he ought to just leave or give the game a try.

He finally decided that hitting his ball into the melee would at least be polite. He aimed his ball and managed to get it through three wickets that were lined up. As he approached his ball to hit it again, a lizard in a top hat and tails ran up and hit it to the other side of the field.

Heero glared at the creature, but it didn't even notice. It simply ran off and hit another ball. Heero was done with this stupid game. He started to walk away when a cheer went up from the group.

"The Queen has won! Huzzah!"

Heero rolled his eyes. Of course she'd won. She was the only one who could keep track of her ball.

"Thank you, thank you!" the Queen gushed. "Shall we have a feast to celebrate?"

"Yes! Let's!" was the response from the group. The entourage scrambled about, cleaning up the croquet supplies and producing tables and chairs, though Heero had no idea where they'd come from. He watched as they laid out tablecloths, place settings and finally…piping hot food. Heero could smell chicken and bread but the food on the tables didn't _look_ like chicken or bread. At least, it didn't look like any chicken or bread he'd ever seen before. It looked more like play-doh. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and looked for an exit. He wanted to find the Cat and take him up on his offer to lead him out of this place. He wanted to go somewhere that made sense.

As he looked, Heero noticed that the Queen had wandered over to the roses while she waited for the preparations to be complete.

"Who's been painting my roses red?" the Queen wondered aloud.

Heero was taken aback when she whirled around and screamed, "WHO'S BEEN PAINTING MY ROSES RED?"

The crowd froze and looked at one another.

"It was _HIM!_" a lady wearing a gaudy purple hat screeched as she pointed at Heero.

Heero found himself restrained. He wished he'd left when he had the chance.

The Queen approached. "Is it true? You painted my roses?"

Heero shook his head. "No. I didn't paint the roses."

"Your Majesty," Duke Dabbar said as he walked over, "he was by the roses when we approached. He may be lying to avoid punishment."

Heero glared at the Walrus.

"To the contrary, Your Majesty," the Gryphon said as he came to stand on Heero's other side. "I see no reason to doubt him. He's new to this land. Why would he have any reason to deface it? And he would be unaware of the consequences of such an action so he wouldn't have any reason to lie."

The Queen frowned as she considered the points made by two high ranking members of her court. "We must have a trial," she decided. "There's no other way. You two may play the parts of the lawyers. I will play the part of judge. Prepare the witnesses. We will begin shortly!"

The entourage cheered and left off preparing the feast. Instead they created a witness stand, a judge's bench and a place for Heero to sit while being tried for painting the Queen's roses. Heero considered fighting his way out, but the Gryphon's claw on his shoulder kept him from trying. Besides, he'd done nothing wrong so he wouldn't be found guilty and then he could be on his way.

The Queen went into a tent that had appeared out of nowhere and returned wearing glasses and she had her hair pulled up into two buns. She looked sterner than she had when he'd first met her.

"Where is the accused?" she demanded.

Heero was pushed forward and he stood, unsure of what was expected of him now.

"How do you plead?"

"_Not_ guilty."

She frowned at him. "Produce the first witness!"

Heero was confused. There hadn't been any witnesses…unless they found the card-men. But they'd run off.

"Lemme go! I didn' do nothin'!"

Heero turned towards the commotion and saw the boy with the braid being pulled towards the makeshift witness stand.

Once he was on the stand the lizard in the top hat and tails asked, "Do you promise to be uncouth, pull your tooth and spill the juice all over Bob?"

The boy crossed his arms and scowled. "Yeah…I guess."

Heero was flabbergasted. What had he just agreed to?

The Walrus paced in front of the witness stand. "Would you be so kind as to tell the jury your name?"

The boy shrugged. "Name's Mbaxambili. Deuce Mbaxambili."

"Very good. May I call you Deuce? Mbaxambili's a bit of a mouthful."

"I guess. Whaddaya want?"

"You see, Deuce, the Queen's roses have been painted red and we're trying to figure out who did it."

"It wasn't me, I swear!"

"Of course it wasn't you. We think it was _him_." The Walrus pointed at Heero. "Do you know who he is?"

Deuce looked over at Heero. "Yeah. That's Howard. He's a buddy of mine. Helped me find something earlier today."

"Oh? So do you think he would deface the Queen's property?"

Deuce shrugged. "Might. If he was in the mood to I suppose."

Heero frowned. That wasn't going to help him. And this boy didn't know him at all. He had him confused with someone else.

"No further questions."

The Gryphon approached the witness stand. "Mr….Deuce…what is your favorite color?"

"Black."

The Gryphon frowned as he thought. "No further questions."

Heero wanted to hit his head against a wall. "What was the point of that?" he hissed at the Gryphon as he walked back over.

"It wasn't him. He would have painted them black," the Gryphon explained slowly in a manner that suggested it was obvious.

Heero rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to be able to rely on the Gryphon to convince the Queen he was innocent. He'd have to hope they put him on the stand and he could clear his own name.

"You may go," the Queen dismissed Deuce. She turned to the jury. "That was very important information. I hope you wrote that down."

Heero raised an eyebrow as he heard one jury member whisper to another, "How do you spell 'that'?"

The second member asked, "What?"

"That."

"_What_?"

"No! _That_…how do you spell it?" the first one said with a scowl.

"Oh! _That_! You spell it I-T."

"Thank you!" The first jury member went to work busily writing something but Heero doubted it was anything resembling words.

"Where is the next witness?" the Queen asked as she drummed her fingernails on the judge's stand.

"I'm sorry I'm late! I had to finish my tea."

Heero watched as Asad walked to the witness stand, teacup in hand. He took a sip as he sat down. Heero was surprised the blonde was so calm, considering that not long ago Arnab had referred to the Queen as a "foul wench."

The lizard approached the witness stand and asked, "Do you wear the brooch, drink the hooch and give your girlfriend a smooch whose feet are clawed?"

Heero shook his head. He had to have heard that wrong.

The blonde took a sip of tea and said, "Oh…why not?"

The Walrus looked at the blonde. "Did you bring enough for everyone?"

Asad looked at his teacup. "This cup is dirty. Can I get a new one?"

"Not until you answer a few questions."

The blonde sighed. "Okay. Get on with it."

"Do you know who painted the Queen's roses?"

"I'll need some fresh tea to help me think."

"Do you know or not?"

Asad thought it over. "Not."

The Walrus shrugged and walked away. The Gryphon paced in front of the witness stand again.

"Do you know how to paint?"

"Is that a riddle?"

"I don't believe so."

"Pity. Arnab and I adore riddles." The blonde looked forlornly at his teacup. "Is there more tea?"

"I know you," the Queen said, sitting up and glaring down at the witness. "You're the boy that killed time! Murderer! Arrest him!"

Asad was grabbed and he tried to escape but it was no use. Too many of the Queen's court had hold of him.

"ARNAB! HELP ME!" he cried.

Heero felt the ground beneath his feet begin to shake. Was this an earthquake? His earthquake theory was dashed at the sight of Arnab running down the path followed by at least forty rabbit-men like himself. They looked pissed.

"SAVE THE MASTER!" they yelled as they charged.

Heero didn't want to be caught in the middle of this conflict but everywhere he turned were rabid rabbit-men.

"Come on!"

Someone grabbed Heero's hand and he found himself being dragged away. Since it seemed safer to follow, Heero went without protest.

"You're lucky I showed up when I did."

Heero looked at his savior. It was the Cat.

"Yes, I suppose I am," he agreed.

The Cat led him down a path. "You're very short on time. Let me show you the way out."

Heero was about to agree when the little girl who had given him the flower came running up to him. "There you are! Mary and I have been looking for you. Come with me! I have something to show you!" She grabbed Heero's hand and pulled him off the path.

Heero looked back at the Cat. His eyes had gone wide.

"Don't go with her! Come back! She's dangerous!"

The girl giggled. "Don't be silly, Kitty. He's my special friend. I won't hurt him. But if you're so worried, why don't you come, too?"

The Cat hesitated for a moment before frowning and chasing after them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: According to Google Translate, Mbaxambili is Zulu for Double. **


	10. A Choice

**A/N: Okay, so I know I've updated this one twice without an update to Silent Companion, but this one is being a bit more persistent at being finished because it's not going to be that long and it knows it's near the end. With Nanowrimo going on, it might make updates a little more spread out. This chapter contains a few answers. Were you right?**

* * *

><p>"Where are we going?" Heero asked.<p>

"You'll see," the little girl told him without looking back at him.

"I have a better idea. Why don't we ditch the girl and I'll show you the way out," the Cat said as he caught up to them.

The girl stopped and glared at the Cat. "You don't own him, you know."

"Neither do you," the Cat growled. "Let him go before you do irreparable damage."

"No." The girl turned and continued to pull Heero through the woods.

The Cat growled again and continued to follow.

Heero was perplexed. Why did the Cat, who seemed to be the most reasonable creature in this place, despise the girl so much? She hadn't done anything but give Heero a flower. He had no reason to think she was dangerous…except to the flowers.

"Do you recognize where we are?"

The girl's question brought Heero out of his thoughts. He looked around. "No."

The girl stopped walking and Heero stopped as well. The Cat stopped a few steps away, not wanting to get any closer to the girl than absolutely necessary.

"Look again. Look carefully," she said.

Heero looked around. As he looked the landscape changed. His eyes widened. He knew this place. He looked at the girl. He knew her. He dropped to his knees in disbelief. "How is this possible?" he whispered.

"You know where you are?" the girl confirmed.

Heero nodded.

"Watch," the girl ordered.

Heero watched as a boy, his younger self, jumped an impossibly high fence then ran through a park, falling to the ground with relief at managing to escape unnoticed. It was just as it always was in his dreams. He watched as the girl approached him and offered him a flower before running off with her dog.

"You know what is about to happen, don't you?" the girl beside him asked.

Heero nodded. "Can't we change it? Save them somehow?"

The girl looked at him with large, solemn eyes. "The past cannot be changed, no matter how much you may wish it. It can only be learned from. What do you learn here?"

Heero counted down in his head the seconds until he pushed the detonator. He felt the familiar drop in his gut as the mission went wrong. He hadn't accounted for the force of the blast that knocked the stationary mobile suits the wrong way. He wanted to look away as the suits fell into an apartment building that, in Heero's opinion, had been built _way_ too close to the base in the first place. He couldn't tear his eyes away as the building was destroyed, killing everyone inside. It had been his fault.

"Please…stop it. I…I don't want to watch this anymore," Heero whispered.

"It cannot be stopped until you can tell me what you learned."

Heero watched his younger self wander through the rubble the morning after. Heero remembered hoping that he was wrong and it had been an empty office building rather than an apartment complex. But the teddy bear dashed that hope. Seeing Mary, lifeless amidst the debris had been his breaking point. He'd killed the girl and her dog. An innocent girl that had done _nothing_ to deserve such a fate. She hadn't had the chance to live her life yet. And it was his fault.

"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

"I accept your apology and I forgive you. But tell me…did you learn anything?"

Heero tore his eyes away from watching his younger self wander aimlessly with the dead puppy in his arms. He looked at the girl. "Mistakes…mistakes happen."

The girl nodded sagely. "What else?"

Heero thought.

"Did apologizing make the mistake go away?"

Heero shook his head.

"Even if it didn't go away…do you feel better now that you know you've been forgiven?"

Heero frowned. He didn't usually acknowledge his feelings but now that he thought about it…he nodded. "Yes," he whispered.

The girl smiled up at him as the scenes around them faded away. "Then you have a choice to make. You can come with me or go with the Cat."

Heero looked at the Cat, who was fidgeting. "Why did you tell me she was dangerous?"

The Cat moved to Heero's other side, giving the girl a wide berth. "Let me show you something."

Heero followed the Cat's gaze and saw Wing Gundam battling the Talgeese. He heard the demand to surrender or the Colonies would be destroyed, then Dr. J telling him to exit Wing. Heero watched as Wing's cockpit opened and he stepped out.

"I surrender, but I will NOT hand over the Gundam. I repeat, I surrender, but I will not hand over the Gundam."

The Heero on Wing narrowed his eyes. "Mission Accepted."

Heero watched as his other self lifted Wing's detonator and deliberately pushed the button. Heero's eyes widened as Wing exploded and his body was thrust through the air like a rag doll. Is this how the others had felt watching him throw his life away?

Heero frowned. Where had that thought come from? He was following orders, not…not throwing his life away…right?

"Do you remember this?" the Cat asked softly.

Heero nodded. "But…what happened after that? I can't remember."

"Watch. Learn."

Heero watched as Gundam Heavyarms picked up his body, tiny and lifeless in the huge robotic hand, and sped off with him. The other Gundams scattered before Oz could follow.

"Heavyarms…why would he come after me?" Heero wondered softly to himself. "They should have left me and gone while Oz was distracted with the detonation."

"Heero…"

Heero looked at the Cat. "How do you know my name?"

"That wasn't me," the Cat told him. "Listen."

"Heero…don't give up. The world needs you."

Heero frowned. "But it sounds like you."

The Cat nodded. "Do you know what this place is?"

Heero shook his head.

"It's what many people refer to as Purgatory and sometimes as Limbo," the girl supplied.

"Why is it so weird here?"

The girl giggled. "That is your subconscious messing with you. I would bet you recognized almost everything you saw and heard, didn't you?"

Heero couldn't deny it. Everything here had seemed familiar, even if he hadn't been able to place why.

"Do you know why you are here?"

"No."

"You are here," the Cat said, "because you are being given a choice. Anyone else who did what you have done would have died and gone straight to Beyond. But you have a higher purpose and the ability to make things right in your world. You asked me before why I said the girl was dangerous. It is because unlike the rest of us, she is not from Limbo. She is from Beyond. My purpose was to show you the way back. When someone comes here from Beyond, their purpose is to take travelers to Beyond with them. I was afraid she would take you before you could make your own choice. Now that I know she will respect your choice, I retract my earlier assessment."

The girl smiled at the Cat. "Thank you, Cat. However, time is short." She looked at Heero. "It is time for you to choose. The pathway back is not going to be easy and when you go back, there will be tasks for you to complete. They are non-negotiable and must be completed before you can achieve True Peace."

Heero thought for a moment. "What happens if I do not go back?"

"Then your world will be plunged into chaos and ruin. Eventually, another will be born that can halt the destruction but it will be many years before they are old enough to effect change. It is your choice," the Cat said.

Heero looked at the girl. "I have to go back. I cannot leave the world as it is."

The girl nodded. "Then you must go. I will visit you again with the tasks you are to complete. Go."

Heero nodded and looked to the Cat. "Show me the way back."


	11. The Portal to Being

**A/N: Thanks for the review, newby6320! I didn't want to confirm or deny your guess for fear of spoilers! Maybe this chapter will help (or maybe not ;P)**

* * *

><p>The Cat led Heero back to the path. The girl didn't follow. Instead she called for Mary and went the other direction, seeking her dog.<p>

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Heero asked as they walked.

"Tell you what before?" the Cat asked.

"Why didn't you tell me what this place was?"

"Would you have believed me if I couldn't give you concrete proof?"

Heero thought about that. "Not likely. Why couldn't you have just shown me the memories?"

"It isn't that easy. You have to be at the border of Limbo and Beyond to see them."

Heero fell silent as he considered this. "So had I gone farther…I would have been in Beyond?"

The Cat nodded. "When she first pulled you off the path I was afraid that she would have you in Beyond before I could tell you what was going on."

"Why did the voice sound like you?"

"Hm? Oh…right. That voice belongs to the pilot of Heavyarms. I sound like him because...well…I'm not really sure. I was assigned to be your guide and I guess your subconscious supplied his voice because he's the one watching your body right now."

"Watching my…body?"

The Cat nodded. "This is a place for souls. Your body is awaiting your return. That is why we must hurry."

"If it's a place for souls, is everyone else here unconscious back home as well?"

"No. It isn't quite like that. What you see has to do with your memories and feelings and the people you know. And you can't see any other souls unless their purpose coincides with yours. It almost never happens."

"Is everyone here someone I know in real life?"

The Cat nodded. "If they aren't someone you know now, they're people you're supposed to meet. Sometimes they play a big role in your life, sometimes only a minor one. But you won't know until you meet them face to face."

Heero thought about this while they walked. "So why did I change size every time I ate or drank something?"

The Cat shrugged. "Who knows? It's one of the quirks of this place. One guy I was assigned to guide out changed colors every time he sneezed. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't convinced himself he was allergic to every plant in this place."

Heero quit asking questions. He would never be able to understand this place and it was hurting his head to try. The rules were too fluid for his OCD. It was better to just let it go until he got back to where things made sense.

They made it to a path and the Cat paused, looking up and down it.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked.

"Something's…off," the Cat said slowly. "Come on. We'll follow near the path but if I tell you to get out of sight, do it quickly."

Heero nodded and followed the Cat off the trail. As they traveled, the woods seemed to grow darker and denser.

"Stay close," the Cat said over his shoulder. "I don't like the feel of this."

Heero frowned. "Haven't you been this way before?"

"Yes…but like I said before, something's off." The Cat looked behind them and motioned for Heero to follow him.

The Cat led the way across the path and down an almost imperceptible side path. Heero would never have noticed it.

"This used to be a short cut. Hopefully the changes in this area haven't changed its destination," the Cat told Heero softly, his ears twitching.

Heero followed silently, keeping alert for threats. The Cat came to an abrupt halt. Heero pulled up short, just barely avoiding a collision.

"Back up slowly and silently," the Cat murmured.

Heero didn't argue, he just did as he was ordered.

Because they were going backwards, Heero didn't see the twig he stepped on. The resulting SNAP made both of them jump.

The Cat swore. "Run! Go! Don't look back!"

Heero could hear a pounding behind them. Then something roared. The Cat pulled Heero off the side of the trail and pushed him under some bushes, his body landing on top of Heero.

Heero looked up through the foliage and saw a monstrous bug storming down the path.

"What is that?" he whispered.

The Cat's response was to cover his mouth. "Be quiet," he hissed.

The bug stopped on the path in front of them and Heero felt the Cat stiffen. The bug roared again and continued down the path.

Once it was out of sight the Cat relaxed with a sigh. "That was too close."

The Cat got up and pulled Heero to his feet.

"What was that?" Heero asked again.

"_That_ is why Caterpillars should never eat sweets," the Cat told him with a straight face.

"I thought caterpillars turned into butterflies."

"It just goes to show how unstable this place is becoming. You are out of time. Let's get going before it decides to come back. With any luck we can get to the portal before anything else happens."

The Cat started down the path much faster than he had gone before. Heero had to jog to keep up. He wondered how the Cat made it look so effortless. He frowned to himself. He'd never had to put effort into anything physical before. Dr. J had seen to that.

The Cat turned to look at him. "We're almost there."

Heero nodded, almost gasping for air at this point. He wondered if this is what 'normal' people felt like when they ran. The ground seemed to turn into mud as they went. Heero found it harder and harder to lift his feet and move forward. It was like the path was clinging to him, trying to hold him back. He felt like he was going in slow motion.

The Cat stopped and turned. "I know it's difficult but you must keep moving. I am not allowed to physically help you at this point. The closer we get to the portal the harder it will become. Expect it but remind yourself that you chose this. This _is_ what you want and it will all be worth it."

Heero nodded and forced himself to take another step. The Cat moved ahead to a large tree that grew where the path forked.

What seemed like an eternity later, Heero made it to the tree.

The Cat smiled at him. "You made it! Excellent!"

Heero frowned. "Made it where?"

"To the portal. I have only to open it and you will be able to pass back into Being."

Heero nodded. "I'm ready."

The Cat leapt lightly into the tree and reached for a small branch. He pulled it and the front of the tree slid open, a blinding light emanating from inside.

"Go before the light fades!"

Heero was about to step into the light when someone called out, "WAIT!"

He turned to see the little girl running up with Mary bounding beside her. He blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought to see her so soon.

"I have your first two tasks!"

"Are you kidding?!" the Cat spat. "He doesn't have time right now. Visit him later!"

The girl scowled at the Cat and motioned for Heero to bend down. She whispered the two tasks in his ear and he straightened.

"Mission accepted," he said before calmly turning and stepping through the portal into the unknown.


	12. Back from the Edge

The light surrounded him completely. He wasn't sure he what it was he was walking on. Was it possible to walk on light? He didn't know how far he would have to go but he reflected on the girl's parting words as he traveled.

"Your first task is to make amends for your mistake at New Edwards. You must ask forgiveness from the family members of Field Marshall Noventa. I want you to do this because it is the first step in being able to forgive yourself. You remember how much better you felt when I forgave you? I want you to be able to find happiness and you cannot do that without forgiving yourself for your mistakes. The other task is much harder. You must protect Relena Peacecraft. She is the key to peace and you have been chosen as her special guardian. Keep her safe and all will be well."

His first two tasks felt impossible. How was he going to find Noventa's family members? Did he have to go to each one or just his wife and immediate children? He would have to consider this task carefully before he attempted it. The second task would be difficult as well. Relena wasn't someone that he'd ever thought he would be expected to protect. He'd told her he would kill her the first time he met and several times after that. But he'd known even then that he wouldn't do it. He'd saved her during an Oz attack when it would have been convenient to let them kill her off. He wasn't sure why his task was to protect her. Many people were important, but he hadn't been ordered to protect them. Just her. Perhaps there was something about her that he didn't know yet. Guarding her would allow him to observe her and maybe one day he would understand. For now, he would follow the little girl's instructions and see what unfolded.

He could hear a voice ahead. He didn't recognize it, but he followed it. The light around him was receding, which he hoped was supposed to happen. He wasn't sure how, but he found himself on his back. His body felt heavy. He was definitely weaker than he was used to being. His mouth was dry and his tongue felt like he'd been sucking on sand.

It was dark after all that light. The voice was still talking. Something about the Alliance and Oz. Maybe it had to do with a mission he was supposed to complete. He forced his eyes open. It took a moment for them to focus, but in that moment he thought he saw…

"Relena?"

The woman turned towards him and his eyes focused, revealing a woman with short, curly auburn hair. Heero was disappointed. This wasn't Relena. What had he expected? She hadn't been there when he detonated. For all he knew, she didn't even know he'd done it.

She gave him a small smile. "Hey, you've woken up. Wait a minute and I'll go get Trowa."

"Trowa?" Who was Trowa? Was he supposed to know? He tried to sit up but found it to be excruciatingly painful. He grunted, trying to keep how much pain he was in to himself.

The woman reached out her hands to stop him. "You should take it easy!"

A door opened and closed somewhere nearby.

"Trowa! Your friend has woken up," the woman called.

Heero stared as a young man entered the room. He looked almost identical to the Cat, but without the ears and tail. Even the green eyes were the same. The boy, whom Heero assumed was Trowa, stared back evenly.

"Oh, you must be hungry. I'll go make some soup," the woman said as the growing silence between the two boys became more and more uncomfortable. She left them alone, which suited Heero just fine.

"Where am I?" Heero asked. He wanted to make sure he hadn't ended up in another alternate dimension.

"Along the route of a traveling circus," Trowa said as he took up the woman's vacated seat. "It's where I hide myself."

"Why'd you save me?" Heero asked. "I was supposed to die with honor." Regardless of the fact that he'd chosen to return to his body, Heero had been prepared to die. Had he died, it would have been honorable. Now there was a chance that his demise would come in the form of something less than heroic. He hadn't thought of that before. The more he was awake, the more Heero found himself second guessing his choice.

"You died a long time ago." That surprised Heero, though he didn't let Trowa know it. "One month has passed…" Trowa was still talking but Heero didn't hear any of it.

"A month has already gone by?" Was that really how long he'd been in Limbo, traversing the weird landscape and interacting with the weirdest characters he'd ever come across? It certainly hadn't felt that long.

Trowa crossed the room and leaned against the wall. "In Oz's eyes you're already dead. You're no longer restrained to the colonies. In my case it's not that simple."

"They found you, Trowa?" If they had found Trowa then that meant that Heero was putting him at risk because of his injuries. They would have to change locations as soon as possible.

"No. But there hasn't been one mission since that day." Trowa crossed his arms and looked down.

"I see." Heero wondered why the scientists had stopped the missions. He'd followed Dr. J's orders. Surely the other pilots could be expected to do the same.

"I'm not so sure what to do. What would happen if Oz used the colonies as a shield again?" Trowa moved to the window and looked out. "Or should I be following your example?"

Ah. So Trowa wasn't sure if the order was supposed to be followed by the rest of them as well. Heero could tell he was planning on detonating if that was what was expected. "In that case I've got one warning."

Trowa looked at Heero. "Hm?"

"It hurts like hell."

Trowa laughed. Heero wasn't entirely sure what was so funny. Blowing himself up did hurt like hell. He'd been warned by the little girl that coming back wouldn't be easy and she hadn't been kidding. The statement did break some of the tension in the room so Heero decided not to ask what Trowa found funny about it.

"I've got a big favor to ask you, Trowa. Could you tell me what was going on while I was lying here unconscious?"

"Sure thing."

As they talked, with Trowa answering Heero's questions as he thought of them, Heero felt a sense of camaraderie with the Heavyarms Pilot. Maybe this was what people referred to when they talked about being friends. Maybe it wasn't, but it was the closest Heero had ever come to the sensation.

The woman, who Trowa introduced as Catherine, brought in soup, which Heero ate, though he was certain his protein bars had more flavor. Still, it was sustenance and Heero needed to recuperate if he was going to complete the tasks given to him.

When they were alone again, Heero brought forth the idea of seeking out the members of Field Marshall Noventa's family. Trowa didn't understand why Heero was so set on seeking them out, but he agreed to help if he was around. Heero understood what Trowa meant. If he managed to survive his own detonation, Trowa would willingly assist Heero in his task. If not, well, it isn't like Heero would be able to count on a lifeless body to help with anything.

Heero kept the other task to himself. He wouldn't be able to explain why he was doing these tasks, not without sounding completely insane. But he had agreed to complete the tasks and he would do so.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Kudos to newby6320 for guessing it right! Just a short epilogue left...**


	13. Epilogue

As the months passed, the little girl came to Heero many times, usually in his dreams. He didn't always understand why she gave him the tasks that she gave him, but he always completed them.

He never explained his uncanny ability to know where he was needed the most because he knew the others wouldn't understand.

Even now, as he and Duo traveled to colony X-18999 to retrieve Relena from the Barton Foundation, Heero didn't tell Duo just how he'd known that Relena had been taken and where she'd been taken to. He let Duo assume that he'd looked it up on his computer. He supposed that was legitimate, though. The girl had many ways of contacting him. E-mail was a fairly common method, but the messages appeared and disappeared from his inbox without a trace. E-mails could be traced but the messages from the girl couldn't.

He still dreamt about the girl and the day he killed her. The difference was that now he didn't jerk awake in a cold sweat. He knew he'd made a mistake and she had forgiven him. He still had the memory, but it was no longer painful.

"Heero! Hey Heero! Wake up, Heero!"

Duo's voice permeated Heero's dream. Heero opened his eyes.

"What is it?"

"That little girl is just about to issue a statement."

Heero focused on the monitor in front of him. As he watched Mariemaia Kushrenada declare war on the ESUN, the little girl's task whispered in the back of his mind.

"You must protect Relena Peacecraft. She is the key to peace and you have been chosen as her special guardian. Keep her safe and all will be well."

"Mission accepted," Heero thought to himself as he prepared once again to rescue the Princess of Peace.

* * *

><p>"I've killed Mariemaia. I will…never kill…anyone ever again. I don't have to anymore." Heero surrendered to the darkness. He was physically and mentally exhausted.<p>

"Heero…you've done well." The little girl's voice came to him in the dark. Gradually a small light shone through and the girl came to him, bringing the light with her. "You are well on your way to true peace. The wars may be over but there will be other threats. You can help to stop them."

"How? I don't have the strength anymore." He had given everything he had to keep Relena safe. The desire to complete the task was what kept him going when his reserves were used up.

The little girl smiled at him. "Yes, you do. You might not recognize it right now, but it is there. You have friends now. They are your strength. You can rely on them when you are not strong enough on your own. One day, you will join the Preventers and with your sense of purpose, your strength will increase. When it is time, you will pass on the protection of the ESUN to the next generation."

"Is that what my life will be? Passing from one military agency to the next until I die?"

The girl frowned at him. She reached out and held his face in her hands. "No. That is not your whole life. I want you to fall in love. To get married. To have a family. I could tell you who you are destined to be with but that wouldn't be fair. You should get to decide that for yourself. I won't take that away from you. Your task now is to help keep the peace you've fought for and to help future generations to keep it."

Heero read the hope in the little girl's eyes. "Mission accepted."

"Heero? Heero!?"

Heero forced his eyes open. Duo was above him, concern in his eyes.

"Hey, Buddy! You had us worried."

Heero blinked and tried to sit up, but plopped back with a groan. He wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

A hand brushed his hair out of his eyes and he looked up. He realized his head was in Relena's lap.

"Relax, Heero. Everything is going to be just fine," she said softly.

"Yeah. The others are helpin' the Preventers to keep everyone calm while they get the area cordoned off. Quat says he has a car we can use to get out of here when you're ready."

Heero didn't respond for a moment as he processed the information and took a mental inventory of his injuries. "Duo. We can go…but…I'll need your help."

Duo's eyebrows raised in surprise, but he didn't say anything. It worried him a little because Heero almost never asked for help. "Yeah, okay. What do you need me to do?"

Heero hated to say it out loud, especially in front of Relena, but Duo wouldn't know otherwise. "My strength is drained. A few days' rest and I should be fine but I don't want to stay here that long."

Duo grinned and reached down, slinging Heero's arm around his shoulders and helping him stand up. "Sounds good. I think we could all use a vacation. Care to join us Princess?"

Relena stood now that Heero wasn't using her lap as a pillow. "I would enjoy that, but I don't know if my schedule will allow it."

Duo snorted. "Screw the schedule. It ain't goin' anywhere. Just tell them you need to recover from all of this for a week or so. What's the worst they could do, fire you?"

Relena thought about that before nodding. "Good point. We can gather at my estate and leave from there."

"Right. We'll let the others know. See ya in a bit."

Duo helped Heero out to the car while Relena intercepted the cameras and reporters, allowing them to escape unnoticed.

"She's really something," Duo said as they drove off after telling the other three to meet at the Peacecraft Estate. "She stayed with you the whole time and still gave orders to everyone. I heard a couple of Preventer Agents say that Relena could give Une a run for her money."

"Are you going to join them?"

"Huh?" Duo looked over at Heero, who was leaning against the window watching the scenery go by. "Join the Preventers? Hadn't really thought about it. What about you?"

"It was just an idea. I thought if the five of us joined it might help keep the peace."

Duo was silent while he thought that over. "Yeah…you're right. It might. Dunno if I wanna join right up, though. I had some plans with Hilde and I think she'd kill me if I went back on 'em. But maybe in a couple of years when I've had a chance to think it over it might be more appealing."

Heero nodded. He wasn't going to push his friends into joining the Preventers. He wasn't sure when he would join up, but he knew he would. It was what he knew and what he was good at. He could stop further threats to his friends and the world he appreciated so much more now than he had as a child assassin.

Life was valuable, even his.

And he would protect it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoyed the story. Did you guess correctly? **

**Here's the Character list so you can check who was supposed to be who. **

Door = Dr. J

Pink Hibiscus = Relena

Yellow Weaver's Broom = Dorothy

Pansies = girls Relena went to school with

Chong the Caterpillar = Wufei

Marlid Ilo = Milliardo

Chess Merequiz = Zechs

The Cat = Trowa

Deuce Mbaxambili = Duo

Asad = Quatre

Arnab = Rashid

X = Doktor S

Tow = Master O

3 = Professor G

8 = Instructor H

Duke Dabbar (Walrus) = Duke Dermail

Tretten = Treize

The Queen = Une

Rabbit Men = Maganac Corps.

Let's just assume everyone else was in the Queen's entourage...


End file.
